By Helena Wagner | Phoenix Business Journal
A long-awaited indoor wildlife attraction proposed within the Talking Stick Entertainment District is seeking approval after years in the wilderness. Paradise Earth is a 92,716 square-foot indoor exhibit that’s proposed on 10.5 acres of land 8450 N. Dobson Road on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community off Loop 101. It will be within the Arizona Boardwalk, which consists of OdySea Aquarium, Butterfly Wonderland, the Museum of Illusions and more, with a handful of other entertainment options nearby.
The interactive experience — dubbed the “largest indoor rainforest in North America” — will go before the SRPMIC Council on July 15. Paradise Gateway LLC, the entity tied to the project, is requesting approval for a conditional use permit weeks after the SRPMIC Land Management Board recommended approval of the permit June 22. If approved, it will allow the developer to take the next step in building the attraction on the vacant parcel of prime real estate.
